This will be the 31stinstallment of the popular "favorite Player" series. Owners in the current league are invited back, but this theme is definitely open to everyone! Just because this is season 31 doesn't mean we always have the same group of owners - we definitely don't - so feel free to sign up even if you've never played before!

Have you ever really wished you could use Ron Darling, but couldn't bring yourself to do it because your opponents would have much better pitchers? Do you have a favorite hitter who you've never been able to squeeze into a team before? Then this league is for you!!!

Here's how it works. When you sign up for the league, you nominate your favorite player. Everyone in the league uses that player on their team. 24 people give nominations, providing 24 players out of a 25-man roster. The last player is a 25th man not from the list (nomination method varies by season, check details below)

When building your roster, you can choose any season from the career of each player nominated. So you might choose the '86 version of Darling, and I might choose the '92 version.

In order to keep things logical we need to have a few restrictions in place.

The "under 3mil rule" because of Tony Fernandez, who sat on everyone's bench due to the nomination of Derek Jeter who didn't have any cheap seasons. For season 4, it was increased to 1.5 mil (see rule #4 for reasons why), for season 19 it was increased to 2.0mil, and for season 29 it was increased to 3.0mil.

This rule, the Tony Fernandez Rule, now applies to pitchers and hitters (as of season 29)

2. The league will have a salary cap of $120 mil

However you draft your seasons is up to you but they have to fit under this cap.

3. No Trades, WW or AAA.

4. There is NO DH for season 31. This will allow bench players to play a more important role --- pinch hitters. Hey, at least they'll get in the game! This has been working pretty well so far.

5. We must have a regular lineup of nominees. This means the following position minimums must be met by nominated players: 2 catchers, 1 for each infield position, 3 extra infielders, 4 outfielders, 3 starting pitchers, 3 relief pitchers, 4 other pitchers and 1 wild card (pitcher or hitter).

Players will be listed at their primary position, but that doesn't mean you have to use them there. In other words, I can list Ernie Banks at SS, but you can use him as a 1B if you like when you're building your team. I would encourage at least a couple multi-position nominations just to make things more fun.

6. Cookies are NOT blacklisted.

However, if you're going to pick Milacki, Joss, Phillips, etc. then I reserve the right to ask you why you consider them one of your favorite players of all time

7. You must use a park where the player YOU nominate played.

I realize this could get sticky if you pick triples hitter and Petco and no one else nominates any triples hitters. But you don't have to nominate a player who played in only one park and you don't have to declare your park when you post your player.

8. There will be ONE random realignment when the league is done.

9. 25th man rule:

For season 31, we will keep to the rule that introduced a special twist. You can use any player you want for your 25th man, provided that their salary is under 10 million dollars. 9,999,999 is OK, 10,000,000 is not OK.

In seasons 3-9, we used the rule that you must use any player from the season you choose for your favorite player. So if I choose Mike Gonzalez as my fave, and use his 2004 season, my 25th man must be any player from 2004.

In seasons 1, 10 and 11 it was any player you like (2nd fave) and in season 2 it was a teammate of your fave.

10. Previously used playersareNOT blacklisted for nomination.We had made this a hard blacklist as a one-time-only thing in season 20, but we're back to normal in season 31. You can nominate someone who was used before but please try to be judicious about it - try not to nominate someone used in the last couple seasons.